


Widdershins

by Tish



Category: Dad's Army
Genre: Gen, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-18
Updated: 2017-12-18
Packaged: 2019-02-16 12:49:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13054338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tish/pseuds/Tish
Summary: Pike and Jones go on an exercise, with some odd results.





	Widdershins

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sweetcarolanne](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetcarolanne/gifts).



“Alright, men. Now, this exercise is to establish our readiness to survive and engage the enemy in forest combat. Jones and Pike will take the north-east corner of Warrick Fell, just near Pudding Pie Lane,” Mainwaring announced as he pointed to the map, which promptly slid out from under one of its pins and slid sideways, swinging to and fro before Wilson managed to catch it.

“Sorry, sir,” Wilson softly said as he replaced the drawing pin firmly.  


  


After giving each little team their orders, the meeting broke up, and before they knew it Jones and Pike quickly found themselves bundled out of the unit's lorry and onto the deserted road.

“It's very quiet,” Pike mused as the lorry drove away.

“If it stays this quiet we might get to hear the fairies start singing and dancing,” Jones whispered as they trudged along the track leading into the forest.

“You don't believe in fairies, do you?” Pike giggled, clutching his rucksack of tea and biscuits.

“Absolutely, have you never seen the photographs? They were everywhere when I was a lad! Pretty little fairies,” Jones paused as he looked from side to side and lowered his voice even more, before continuing, “all unclothed. Barely a wisp of gossamer over them and sitting on a toadstool!”

Pike blushed furiously and grinned. “Mum wouldn't want me looking at pictures like that.”

“You'd better not go to the Historical Society, then. You might accidentally open that big book of them that Miss Worther has compiled,” Jones cautioned.

Pike nodded. “No. I wouldn't want to stumble against the table and have it fall open, would I?”

  


He suddenly stopped as a layer of mist descended on them, the light of the moon filtered and softened through it, giving the trees a ghostly air. He shivered and looked at the ground below them. “Do mushrooms normally grow like that?”

Jones looked at the circle of mushrooms, glowing softly in the clearing they were standing in. “Ohhhh. Ohhhh. Don't panic!”

“I'm not panicking, Corporal Jones. I just never saw mushrooms like that.”

“We're in a fairy circle, so keep on your guard,” Jones warned quietly.

Pike stepped over to a large dead hollow log, crouched down next to a large flat-topped mushroom and whispered loudly, “I don't see any fairies yet. Maybe our crashing about the forest scared them away?”

Jones wasn't listening, instead he was peering intently at the other end of the forest. He put out a hand to tap Pike on the shoulder, turning when he couldn't find the young man. 

“Pike, there's someone out there. Where are you?” Jones whispered as he slowly crept around the log. He felt his voice was somehow being muffled and he felt a little stiffer and slower than usual as he moved.

“I'm still here,” Pike answered, his voice echoing a little. “I can see them!”

“The fairies?” Jones asked, astonished.

“The Germans!” Pike hissed as he pulled Jones closer. “See!” He pointed through the log as several dimly-lit figures walked through the forest.

Jones squinted through the moss draped over the end of the log, trying to bend his legs a bit more as he hid in the log with Pike. “We're in trouble. We're in the fairy circle and they're outside.”

“We could just wait until they go, then give them the slip and go back the way we came,” urged Pike.

“No, no. We're inside the circle. We can't get out! We have to wait” Jones said urgently.

“Wait? How long for?” Pike whined.

“A year and a day, if I remember the legend properly,” Jones replied.

“A whole year and another day? But Mum's making me a sticky date pudding on Friday!” Pike pouted into the darkness, his voice rising.

Jones clamped his hand over Pike's mouth. “They're coming back!”

Pike watched wide-eyed as several figures emerged from the forest and crossed into the ring. From their vantage point, they could only see the legs of the intruders as they walked by.  
Their footsteps crackled softly beneath them as they walked. The short grass sparkled in their wake.

  


Jones hefted his rifle as he struggled to move out from the log, Pike tugging at his arm to wait just a little bit more. The two of them by themselves couldn't possibly capture several German soldiers, he thought to himself. He looked up at the shadowy image of the Lance-Corporal and found the fire in his belly to follow, gun at the ready.

Jones popped up from the log, with Pike right by his side. They stared at the empty glade before them, slowly turning to try and spot their quarry.

“They were there. They were right there,” Pike breathed in astonishment.

“Yes, I saw them,” Jones agreed as he slowly crept forward to where he was sure the last spot the soldiers had been.

  


“Corporal Jones? Was that there before?” Pike pointed to a smaller ring of mushrooms before them, the ground slumping slightly in the middle of them.

“No, I don't think so.” Jones wasn't sure either way. He eyed the circle warily. “Don't go closer.”

“Don't worry, I'm not going any where near it. I want my pudding on Friday,” Pike folded his arms, annoyed at the pudding-less prospects.

Jones looked from the inner circle to the outer. “We may be still stuck here, my boy.”

“I'm going to take my chances!” Pike held his head up high and marched to the edge of the ring, then looked back, biting his lip. 

Jones wobbled forward and clutched his hand. “Together on three. One, two!”

He was cut off as Pike practically leapt over over the ring, pulling Jones with him. They toppled over in a heap on the ground and stared at each other, bewildered at the sudden change from dark to light.

“When did the sun come up?” Pike found his voice after a minute of letting his mouth gape open.

Jones blinked blankly for a moment before checking the time. “It's 7:13 and sunup was 6:42 today. I remember checking the newspaper yesterday morning.”

“I just hope it was yesterday morning and not a year and,” Pike paused to count on his fingers, 'two days ago. Mum said she's doing me some scrambled eggs, baked beans, and sausages for breakfast.”

“Normally, I would tell you to bring some mushrooms for her to fry with that, but after last night,” Jones fell quiet and looked back at the fairy ring.

  


Pike stood up and offered his hand to help Jones up. “What we going to tell Captain Mainwaring?”

Jones dusted himself down. “I don't think he believes in fairies.”

Pike suppressed a smile. “I bet he likes the pictures, though. Anyway, I'm sure Mum could find a bit extra for you.”

“Breakfast? I think that might be the best thing to do,” Jones smiled.

They started to walk off and Pike took a last look at the ring. “What would have happened if just one of us was stuck in there?”

“The other would have to run widdershins around the ring. Seven times. Or maybe eight. Or thirteen? Then they could pull the other one out. ” Jones said doubtfully.

Pike traced a clock hand sweep, then reversed it. “I think I would do the running around aimlessly bit anyway.” 

  


They resumed walking, the soft grass sparkling under their feet, the soft sigh of the wind in the trees and somewhere in the distance, the soft tinkle of laughter and music unheard by them.


End file.
